Copolymers have numerous commercial applications, for instance, unique properties in pure form, blends, melts, solutions, etc. These properties lead to the use of copolymers in a wide range of products, for example, compatiblilizers, adhesives and dispersants. An advantage of combining various polymerization techniques (e.g., cationic and anionic polymerization techniques) is that new copolymers, each with its own unique properties, can be prepared which could not otherwise be prepared using a single polymerization method.
Polyisoolefins are prepared by cationic polymerization, and described, for example, in Müller et al., who reported that poly(alkyl methacrylate)-b-polyisobutylene and poly(alkyl methacrylate)-b-polyisobutylene-b-poly(alkyl methacrylate) copolymers can be prepared by the combination of cationic and anionic polymerization techniques. See Feldthusen, J. et al. Macromolecules, 1997, 30, 6989-6993; Feldthusen, J. et al. Macromolecules 1998, 31, 578-585.
Polymer-ferrocene conjugates have been described, e.g., Neuse, E. W.; Macromolecules Containing Meal and Metal-Like Elements, Vol. 3: Biomedical Applications; Abd-El-Aziz, A. S. et al. Eds.; John Wiley & Sons, 2004. Additionally, examples of main chain iron containing block copolymers such as poly(ferrocenylsilane), and poly(ferrocenylphosphine) exist (See., e.g., (a) Rulkens, R. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 797-8. (b) Temple, K. et al. J. Inorg. Organomet. Polym. 1999, 9, 189-98. and (c) Peckman, T. J. et al. Macromolecules 1999, 32, 2830-7.), however, relatively few examples of side chain iron containing block copolymers have been reported.